Built in 1913, the Lariat Loop road ascends from Golden up the steep east side of Lookout Mountain. Mountain bikers and hikers can also follow the Chimney Gulch trail, a difficult, narrow "single track" hiking trail that crisscrosses the Lariat Loop road twice on its way to the summit.[citation needed] Lookout Mountain is also popular with paragliders.

In 1917, Charles Boettcher, a Denver entrepreneur, built a summer home formerly called Lorraine Lodge on Lookout Mountain for his family that was used for hunting retreats. In 1968, Boettcher's granddaughter, Charline Breeden, donated the lodge that is now known as Boettcher Mansion and 110 acres to Jefferson County. The mansion has been restored and is now a site for special events.[4]

The Lookout Mountain Nature Center & Preserve has interactive exhibits that take visitors on a tour of the foothills for adults and children.[4]